As Frank Sinatra may have said, overnight success is the result of many years of dedication and hard work.
We should ask My Chemical Romance, one of these hot "new" bands that's been around a surprisingly long time. Four years, you say? Three, tops? Er, well, that's a long time in the do-or-die world of modern rock 'n' roll. It seems longer.
These New Jersey-ites packed at least 10 years of dedication and hard rock into one-third of that time. With a mandate to "be a band that mattered," My Chemical Romance has toured relentlessly, even writing and recording songs on the bus.
No time is wasted, despite even the temptations of fun on the Green Day tour.
The sold-out show comes to Rexall Place today. Then it's off to festivals in Europe, then the Warped Tour and then - finally - the band's first headlining tour. New album, too.
No mention of a break.
"We're lame dudes," says guitarist Mickey Way. "No one in the band parties. Maybe that's why we're so productive."
When you've done nothing but work, what else do you talk about in a phone interview? You talk about work - and that includes horror movies, music videos, barbecues and millions of kids who love you. What a great job.
Q: Listening to your new album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, you don't really get the full sense of the spooky imagery you're into. Where does it come from?
A: Everyone in the band is really obsessed with horror movies. We've always been a theatrical band. The more you can elaborate on it, the better.
Q: What are your favourite horror films?
A: We're huge zombie fans, Dawn of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead, Day of the Dead, Evil Dead, stuff like that.
Q: Your video for Helena is a big hit. Has this ghoulish mascot taken on a life of her own?
A: I think people have taken an idea and run with it.
Q: Like Eddie and Iron Maiden?
A: We love Eddie. We grew up with that. I thought it was cool when the band had some sort of a dude on every album cover,
Q: That won't happen with your band?
A: Absolutely not.
Q: The song is really about your late grandmother, isn't it?
A: People like to dress up like the girl in the video when they come to shows. If that's what they're getting out of the song, then that's fine. Some think it's about some girl who screwed (singer Gerard Way) over. People sometimes miss the mark on that song. I'm sure they'll figure it out one day.
Q: Is getting on the Green Day tour proof you're doing something right?
A: Having people like Green Day, who are our heroes, take notice of us means we've definitely made a mark so far.
Q: How has it been to tour with them?
A: They've been super cool to us. They always plan an event, going to the movies, barbecues after the shows sometimes. They're super cool dudes.
Q: You used to meet with every one of your fans after your shows. Are you disappointed that you're getting so big you can't do that anymore?
A: That's the problem. We'll see kids we've known from the beginning and they'll be waiting somewhere behind a barricade with 50, 100 kids. Sometimes it's overwhelming and you can't go over and have a one-to-one talk. I think they understand.
Q: Do you worry that they won't? That they'll say, Oh, they're on MTV. They're too good for us now ...
A: People are going to say that anyway, even if we sat and talked to every kid every night, people would still go, aw, they're jerks now. That's what people want to hear. It's interesting, you know?
Q: The media ignores the normal, mundane and good things in favour of negativity?
A: Exactly.
So let's end on a positive note for a change: It's going to be a good gig.
